配戴 (pèi dài) — to put on / to wear (fitted or inserted items: contact lenses, hearing aids, mouthguards, braces, dentures)

Definition

配戴 means 'to wear' items that must be fitted onto the body or inserted — contact lenses, hearing aids, braces, mouthguards, dentures — not regular clothing or accessories.

verb
to put on / to wear (fitted or inserted items: contact lenses, hearing aids, mouthguards, braces, dentures)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 配戴。
    Yī shēng jiàn yì tā pèi dài yí fù xīn de zhù tīng qì.
    The doctor recommended that he get fitted with a new hearing aid.
  • 配戴。
    Tā měi tiān dōu yào pèi dài yǐn xíng yǎn jìng.
    She has to put on contact lenses every day.
  • 配戴。
    Yùn dòng yuán bǐ sài shí bì xū pèi dài hù chǐ.
    Athletes must wear a mouthguard during competitions.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

配pèifit
戴dàiwear

The fitting idea in 配 and the wearing idea in 戴 join to describe putting on something made to fit.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 酉酉yǒualcohol vessel
  • 卩卩jiékneeling person

配 is formed by putting 酉, an alcohol vessel, next to 卩, a kneeling person. The reference gives these two parts, but not the reason they combine.

Open 配 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

戴 originally drew a person holding something on their head with both hands.

Open 戴 →

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